Esparragoza turned pro in 1981 and after largely fighting unproven fighters in his native Venezuela was granted a shot at Lineal & WBA Featherweight Titles holder Steve Cruz in 1987. Esparragoza pulled off an upset with a TKO in the 12th round. Esparragoza defended the titles seven times before losing the belts to Yong-Kyun Park in 1991 via unanimous decision. He retired after the loss.

There were the great unsung champions, men like Antonio Esparragoza and Virgil Hill. Somehow there was still Roberto Duran, somehow still fighting for titles. Suffice to say, this has been a harder task than the corresponding list for Boxing's Five ...